When Sydney Ford first shared her story with MSPEI, she was a first-year medical student at Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN), excited to finally begin the journey she had worked toward for years.
Today, she's Dr. Ford.
After matching to her first-choice pediatric residency program at MUN, the Charlottetown native is back in St. John's, where she's caring for children at the Janeway Children's Hospital and beginning the next stage of her medical career.
"I got what I was hoping for," she said. "I'm doing my residency in pediatrics, and I'm exactly where I wanted to be for my placement."
Dr. Ford said the transition from medical student to resident has been both exhilarating and humbling. For the first time, she's making clinical decisions with greater independence. Her days are now spent entirely within pediatrics, rotating through different areas of the Janeway Children's Hospital, from healthy newborns to pediatric cardiology and intensive care. She also takes overnight call shifts, sometimes spending 24 hours in the hospital caring for admitted patients and assessing children who arrive through the emergency department.
Dr. Ford said there's also a surprising amount of coordination behind the scenes, from making phone calls and arranging tests to working with the many health professionals involved in a child's care. It's a demanding schedule, but one that is giving her the opportunity to gradually take on more responsibility as she grows into her role.
“They call me Dr. Ford now and it catches me off guard every time," she said. "I don't quite feel like Dr. Ford yet, but I'm hoping that will come with a bit more time. I'll never forget the first time I was paged, though. It was a nurse asking if a patient could have diaper cream. That was my first big medical decision on my own - diaper cream. Funny, but also surreal to be the one responsible for the decisions about the patient."
If there's any doubt for Dr. Ford that she’s chosen the right specialty, it disappears each time she walks through the doors of the children's hospital. She loves the work and is invested in her patients.
"I've realized just how much hope there is in pediatrics," she said. "Kids are incredibly resilient, and it's a privilege to be part of their care."
Only weeks into residency, Dr. Ford is also teaching medical students; a full-circle moment that made her reflect on how quickly the years have passed.
"I remember looking up to the first-year residents when I was a clerk and thinking they knew everything," she said. "Now I'm the first-year resident, and the next group of students are looking to me. It's a strange feeling."
That experience has strengthened her desire to one day help train future physicians, ideally back home on Prince Edward Island.
Returning to PEI remains her long-term goal. As part of her residency, she will complete a pediatric rotation on the Island from September 21 to October 16. Eventually, she hopes to practise permanently here as a general pediatrician, bringing home the knowledge she's gained while training away and, one day, also help teach the next generation of learners.
For Dr. Ford, teaching is more than another part of residency. It's a chance to give back to the same community that helped her get to where she is today and, eventually, to help make the path into medicine a little easier for someone else.
"There's something really special about being able to help the people who are coming behind you," she said. "I had people who helped me along the way, and I'd love to be able to do that for somebody else."
Looking back, Sydney describes the past year as a whirlwind, from finishing medical school to Match Day, to introducing herself as a physician. Her journey is a reminder that every experienced physician was once a student wondering if they were ready for what came next and that the next generation of doctors is already beginning to inspire the one that follows.
For those just beginning their own journey into medicine, Dr. Ford’s advice remains much the same as it was when she first spoke with MSPEI.
"If being a physician is what you want to do, go for it," she said. "It's a lot of work, and there are moments that are absolutely terrifying, but it's also extremely rewarding. Time flies. You'll blink and be starting residency. And next thing you know, they'll be calling you Doctor."
MSPEI wishes Sydney and all Island medical learners the very best as they continue their training. From the classroom to the clinic and into residency, every stage of the journey brings them closer to their future as physicians. We are proud to support the next generation of physicians and hope many will continue to feel the connection to PEI and choose to build their careers here.